Title

Authors

Date of Completion

January 2005

Keywords

Chemistry, Inorganic

Degree

Ph.D.

Abstract

The objective of this research is to synthesize materials for negative electrodes in Li-ion batteries, prepare coatings on high modulus fibers, which can be used as interfaces in Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), and form catalytic materials. In each of these tasks, appropriate preparation techniques have been employed, such as Chemical Vapor Deposition methods (CVD) and hydrothermal and microwave-assisted syntheses. ^ The synthetic parameters have been selected and optimized in order to yield materials of desired properties such as high specific capacities (>1000 mAh/g) and narrow voltage ranges for battery materials, high tensile strength values (>2 GPa) for oxides-coated fibers, and submicron particles sizes and high surface areas (>100 m2/g) for catalytic materials (K-V-OMS-2). ^ Extensive characterizations (such as surface analyses, elemental analyses, tensile strength measurements where needed, and other selected analyses methods) have been performed on the as-synthesized materials in order to evaluate the applied syntheses methods and to appropriately modify the synthetic procedures. ^